HARARE – Criminal proceedings for controversial businessman and Intratek Managing Director, Wicknell Chivayo are imminent as the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) are seized with the dubious Gwanda solar power project deal.
This emerged during the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy hearing where the Procurement Regulatory Authority (PRA), ZESA Holdings and Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) testified.
Parliamentary in its exercise of oversight is pursuing the arrest of Chivhayo, former Minister of Energy and Power Development Elton Mangoma, and former Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge so as to answer to the alleged fraudulent issuance of a tender to Chivayo and prejudicing the state of more than US$5 million.
It emerged during the parliamentary hearing that the ZESA Holdings legal department approached the police and ZACC, but is keeping its cards close to the chest as Chivayo is a cunning person.
ZPC board members, who attended the hearing, said there was undue political influence by former ministers Mangoma and Undenge who instructed the suspended ZPC Managing Director to pay Chivayo money amounting to US$5,6 million without due diligence and without a bank guarantee.
ZPC Board Member Finance, Mrs Thandiwe Mlobane said they had raised a red flag over the payments to Chivayo but were told there was political pressure at play.
The PRA, which is formerly the State Procurement Board (SPB), was also grilled on why a convicted criminal was made a director of a company in direct violation of the Companies Act.
The authority admitted that was unlawful and unprocedural.
ZPC Board Chairperson, Engineer Stanley Kazhange was roasted for having done technical consultancy work for Chivayo and allegedly failing to declare an interest when he was appointed board chairperson as he had conflict of interest.
Parliament quizzed why the engineer had not resigned when he clearly knew what he did was against good corporate governance practices. – ZBC
